Standing By-an Avi Kaplan fanfic

Chapter 12: Thank You, and Goodbye

"C'mon," I say, playfully tugging on Avi's sleeve. "You have to come. I mean, you're the one who helped me out." I hope from one leg to another, giddy. It's so great to be able to walk again without crutches and without the gruelling pain...
Avi laughs."Okay, okay, slow down."
"I can't!" I chortle, starting to run. "It feels so good to move again!"
I burst into Dylan's room, followed by Avi. "Hey Dylan," I say to him. No response, as usual. "I want you to meet someone special," I say, looking up at Avi.
"Hey, my name's Avi Kaplan, from Pentatonix," Avi says a bit awkwardly, his eyes shifting from Dylan to me and back to Dylan. Must be his first time speaking to a comatose person, I think. "Your cousin is absolutely amazing," he continues, complimenting me and praising me, making me the color of a stoplight.
After Avi runs out of nice things to say about me, I kiss him on the cheek then move close to Dylan place my hand on his cold, stiff one and update him on everything. How I met Avi, our date, and my Valentine's Day surprise: "And oh my gosh, you'd never believe it, but Avi payed for my surgery... I can walk fine now, Dyl!" I say, my eyes pooling with tears.
Avi dips his head, smiling, and I lean against him gratefully.
All of the sudden, Dylan's hand twitches underneath mine and I let out a small shriek, drawing my hand back.
"What?" Avi says.
"Dylan just moved," I say, shocked. I lean towards Dylan. "Dyl?"
  His hand moves fully this time.
"I think he's waking up!" I shout. I grab Avi. "Go tell Dr. Madani!"
  Avi rushes out the door.
"Dyl? Dylan, can you hear me?" I say loudly. "Dylan?"
Dr. Madani rushes into the room, followed by Avi. He checks the monitors, Dylan's pulse and blood pressure, and gives me a hopeful look. "I think you're right, Miss McAllister. Mr. Knowles, are you with us?"
   I sit down into the chair, giving Dr. Madani some space. I'm tense as a minute passes by with no change. I frown. "I swear he was moving, I―"
Dylan takes a sharp, rattling intake of breath, and I've never been so happy to be interrupted.
Dr. Madani continues to speak strongly to him. "Mr. Knowles, your cousin is here. Follow the sound of my voice," he says intensely.
I cling onto Avi. Please please please let him wake up, I pray.
Dylan's breath rapidly increases in speed and intensity, and his heart rate goes up. Eventually, his eyes open. They're glazed over, but open.
"Dylan!" I shout, and bawl my eyes out as he whispers my name. "Ruby..." His body wracks with coughs.
Avi stands up and places his hands on the side of the bed. "He's awake," he says.
I run up beside him and sweep Dylan's hair out of his eyes. Dylan weakly grabs my wrist. "I heard everything," he rasps, smiling, his blue-grey eyes a bit paler than they normally are. "Thanks for keeping me updated; that was all so good to know." Then he turns his focus onto Avi. "Thank you. For doing this for Ruby. You make her so happy, and I appreciate that you're taking good care of her, I want you to know―" he starts coughing again.
Avi shakes his head. "No need to thank me."
Dylan nods twice then continues coughing, and his eyes start to become clouded, his breathing shallow, grip loosening on my wrist.
"Dylan?" My voice rises in alarm.
"Follow your heart," he whispers so quietly that I have to strain my ears to hear it. "Don't ever give up on anything." Then, to Avi, he says, "Thank you for making her happy."
I watch in horror as my cousin takes in a final, wheezing breath, the light dulling in his eyes, and his hand thumps back down onto the bed, limp. The heart monitor stops beeping.
  "I'm so sorry," Dr. Madani says, his voice laced with sorrow.
My heart shatters into a gazillion pieces. "No, no no no no no..." I say softly. "Dylan, please... Wake up, please wake up again. Don't leave me, don't leave us, please... I'm begging you," I cry. "DYLAN!" I shriek, and collapse onto the cold linoleum floor in tears.
Avi crouches down and scoops me up into his arms. I wail into his shirt, body convulsing in heaving sobs. This can't be happening. No way. Dylan's alive―he just blacked out again, that's all. He'll be up and moving tomorrow. Yeah, he will be.
Avi carries me out to the waiting room and sits down in a chair, but I bury my face into his chest and refuse to leave his arms. He settles down, making sure I'm comfortable, and starts humming a slow tune that I don't recognize, the sound in his chest vibrating against my small body as I remain curled up in his arms.
  That's the last thing I hear and feel before the darkness engulfs me.